USA TODAY International Edition
NFL things we learned in Week 5
Not- so- friendly home games to open MVP race
1. After the Chiefs’ surprising loss at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night, home teams are 33- 43- 1 this season.
2. Aaron Jones > Aaron Rodgers ... just this once.
3. With Dallas suddenly on a twogame skid ( against good teams) after a 3- 0 start ( against awful teams), Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s contract negotiations with owner Jerry Jones might be retrograding. Boss man didn’t look too happy Sunday as Prescott served up three interceptions to the Packers ( he has four picks in the past two games). Dallas’ offense also looked lifeless for much of the day — same as at New Orleans in Week 4 — before piling up a bunch of yards and points that mostly proved cosmetic in a 34- 24 setback. Pressure on Dak and company now mounts with the Eagles having forged a first- place tie in the NFC East.
4. Including his Super Bowl XLV win against Pittsburgh, Rodgers is now 4- 0 as a starting quarterback at JerryWorld.
5. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium staged its first NFL regular- season game as the Raiders “hosted” the Bears. The London venue, home of the Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, opened in April after being built at the cost of roughly £ 1 billion. Might the 187th game venue in the NFL’s 100 seasons host the league’s first Super Bowl on foreign soil one day? Appears like a nice enough yard for such an occasion.
6. Also in England, Jon Gruden apparently got the last laugh from Khalil Mack as the Raiders upset Chicago 24- 21.
7. Elsewhere, in New England, Patriots fans are celebrating their team’s first 5- 0 start since 2015.
8. The natives in Atlanta are getting restless for Dan Quinn’s head after his “pretty basic” defense ( according to Texans WR Keke Coutee) was filleted by Houston for 592 yards.
9. If you had Texans teammates Deshaun Watson ( 426 yards passing, 5 TDs, 47 yards rushing) and Will Fuller V ( 14 catches, 217 yards, 3 TDs – all career highs) on your fantasy team, you’ll be crowing all week.
10. The Vikings’ receivers don’t have much to whine about this week ... especially Adam Thielen, who caught seven balls for 130 yards and two TDs from Kirk Cousins in Sunday’s win against the Giants.
11. Welp, new Baltimore FS Earl Thomas and second- year Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph are now officially etched into the Ravens- Steelers rivalry, arguably the league’s most physical and contentious over the past two decades.
12. Meanwhile, perhaps fresh concerns over Ravens sophomore QB Lamar Jackson, who’d seemingly allayed questions about Baltimore’s passing offense a few weeks back? Jackson’s passing yard totals have declined each week – just 161 at Heinz Field on Sunday – and he’s got five turnovers over the last two games. The Ravens were fortunate to survive the Steelers and third- string QB Devlin Hodges in overtime.
13. If Rudolph can’t go this week, Pittsburgh will either have to sign another quarterback or promote Paxton Lynch or Taryn Christion from its practice squad.
14. The Jaguars’ defense isn’t very good without CB Jalen Ramsey, no matter how unhappy he might be.
15. Another week, another round of evidence that Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew II ( 374 passing yards, 2 TDs) and Carolina’s Kyle Allen ( 4- 0 career record as a starter) could keep injured QB1s Nick Foles and Cam Newton, respectively, on the pine longer than initially anticipated.
16. Is Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater the league MVP after five weeks? OK, probably not, but he did tie a personal best with four TD passes in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers, and his 131.2 passer rating is the second best of his career. Taking the helm in the absence of Drew Brees, Bridgewater has three consecutive wins over surging opponents, almost surely saving New Orleans’ season.
17. Is Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey actually the league MVP? He began Sunday with a league- best 629 yards from scrimmage ... then piled 237 more ( plus 3 TDs) on the Jags in Carolina’s 3427 victory.
18. Or is Russell Wilson the MVP? He has yet to throw a pick in 2019, and his completion rate ( 73.1%), TD pass total ( 12) and passer rating ( 126.3) all paced the league entering Sunday.
19. This MVP debate wouldn’t be so topical if the man who won it last year, Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, wasn’t suddenly struggling in the box score ( 1 TD pass the last two games) and on the field with what looks to be an increasingly problematic ankle issue.
20. With 143 yards from scrimmage and two TDs on Sunday, Raiders RB Josh Jacobs has laid an early claim to offensive rookie of the year honors.
21. Rams WR Cooper Kupp has surpassed 100 receiving yards in each of his past four games. Early claim laid to comeback player of the year honors.
22. Rams OLB Clay Matthews still can’t get a break from NFL officials, his roughing call against Wilson in Thursday’s loss a complete travesty.
23. Shoutout to Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury and QB Kyler Murray, who tasted NFL victory for the first time Sunday as their “Air Raid” attack generated 514 yards, 127 more than any other contest this season.
24. Shoutout to Broncos coach Vic Fangio, who also notched his first win as a head coach — and 500th in Denver history.
25. The Broncos have never started a season 0- 5. Still true.
26. Good thing RB Melvin Gordon is back. He cranked out 38 yards from scrimmage in his 2019 debut as the Chargers were ambushed by previously winless Denver. In case you were wondering why his holdout bore no fruit ...
27. Much focus has been devoted to New Orleans’ offense since Brees’ injury. But don’t forget to credit a Saints defense that effectively shut down Dallas in Week 4 before limiting the Buccaneers to 24 points and 252 yards Sunday. Bruce Arians’ bunch had averaged 43 and 481.5, respectively, over its previous two outings.
28. With another seven grabs for 125 yards and two scores, Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin continues to be the breakout star of 2019.
29. Props to Eagles DE Brandon Graham, who enjoyed the first three- sack game of his 10- year career Sunday.
30. And props to the Jets, who snapped their string of 12 consecutive quarters without scoring an offensive TD – longest in the league since 2010 – thanks to Vyncint Smith’s 19- yard fourth- quarter score.
31. Keepin’ it 100: The # NFL100 game of the week was Bills at Titans. Yawn. We knew we weren’t getting an epic Buffalo playoff comeback against the ... Oilers ... or a Music City Miracle. So let’s just keep it real next time and slap the honorific on ’ dem Ice Bowl teams ... even though Packers- Cowboys was nearly as unwatchable for most of Sunday afternoon.
32. But hearty congrats to Tennessee rookie G Nate Davis, who notched his first NFL start Sunday. Yo, Coach Vrabel: How about letting my boy kick next time, too, given your guy – Cairo Santos – was 0- for- 4 on field goals in that mind- numbing 14- 7 loss?